Lab Monitoring is a great for working on your projects, making new friends and enjoying Liberty Station  - all of which you can do while helping us provide more hours for our users. Monitoring usually requires little more than being friendly and we are close by if questions arise. Duties including opening for the day, assisting lab users and closing for the day. We provide hands-on training and offer several 3 hour shifts per week. First Friday Volunteers help at our monthly open studio event. Volunteers can sit or stand and have time before, during and after to enjoy the delights of the evening. Duties including opening for the evening and greeting guests. We provide hands-on training and offer two 3 hour shifts (5:30-8:30pm). The best part is that for every Lab Monitor or First Friday Vollie hour, you get one lab hour credited to your account! Learn more and sign up.

For December's First Friday we hosted three artists in the Lab, Anne did mokume gane chisel demos in her studio AND we had two tables outside! Upstairs in the Lab, Yvonne of Yvonne Dao Jewels created a great display of her space-inspired work while Yoko of Yoko R Creations showed off her pieces (including her great whale shark bracelet) and artist & instructor Jessica Andersen offered her one-of-a-kind art jewelry and beautiful ornaments. Meanwhile, downstairs ...

... our hearty instructor Jules Monroe (along with her trusty studio dog Jazz) braved the cold alongside Seaglass Queen Valerie Safford to merrily greet people at our table in the outdoor bazaar. Jules showed off her fume patina earrings and new water-cast seaglass pendants while Val offered her glimmering designs featuring San Diego seaglass. Throughout the evening we had fun guests, making for a busy night with quite a few sales. We also had a bunch of VIP visitors including the fabulous Irene Wetsman of IJD Designs, our own Alix Hart, Val's mom (who was a hoot!) and Irene's fabulous husband and dog...along with many other friends, both old and new. By the time we toddled out, a big cauldron of hot spiced cider had been dispensed to happy minglers and we'd all heard enough holiday music to launch us merrily into the season. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it a success and to all of our wonderful visitors ... happy holidays!

Hear ye, hear ye minstrels, maidens and mercenaries, conserve your gold coin for our Merry Maker's Market. On December 6th you'll find our village stalls both inside and out festooned with bright holly, sparkling lights, fragrant pine boughs and a full complement of cheery makers proffering their sparkling silver, gold, brass and bejeweled wares. Take in the festively crisp night air (perhaps, I mean it is San Diego) of Liberty Station's outdoor European-style Christmas market where we'll have a stall or step lightly to the second floor of Barracks 15 to revel in medieval holiday charm as you browse our two small shops. Find the perfect holiday gift for that special baker, butcher or cobbler in your life or pick out a one-of-a-kind treasure for yourself. First Friday is Liberty Station's monthly open studio event so in addition to visiting us you can explore the Liberty Public Market, visit nearby shops and studios and catch live entertainment - all with easy parking. Bring a friend or make one here, either way it will be an evening of magical wintry delights - we hope you'll join us!  Get details and directions.

Roughly 40 brave souls accepted the challenge to open EVERY drawer of the Toolbox of Terror at our October First Friday open studio. Not everyone who tried waw able to finish, but those who showed fortitude were richly rewarded. As each victim, er I mean guest, entered they were greeted by Ame or impromptu volunteer Jean and asked if they were ready to ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE. If they answered yes we led them over to the TOOLBOX OF TERROR and wished them good luck. We then retired across the room to listen to their screams (and a good amount of laughter at our cheesy display). Successful adventurers were rewarded with the choice of asking our extremely vintage Magic 8 Ball a question or consulting our Crystal Ball. Every visitor left with a goody from our treat basket - either candy or stickers. Continue on for photos and ... if you're brave enough ... view the TOOLBOX OF TERROR ITSELF!